Sbe Hotel Group Announces Chadi Farhat as Chief Operating Officer of the Middle East and Europe

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/01/2017 -- sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues globally, announced today that Chadi Farhat has been named Chief Operating Officer of the Middle East & Europe – transitioning out of his current role at the company as Chief Commercial Officer. With a hotel in Istanbul, three in London, and one opening in Doha this fall, the Middle East and European markets play a significant role in sbe's portfolio with even more opportunity for growth. In his new position, Chadi will focus on sbe's hotel portfolio expansion, overseeing the operations of current and future hotels as well as strengthening owner relationships. This new executive position plays a critical role within the recently assembled leadership team at sbe.

"The Middle East and Europe are core to the future of sbe. We're planning to grow our hotel footprint significantly in this market over the next few years," stated Sam Nazarian, sbe's founder and CEO. "Not only does Chadi have extensive experience and knowledge of the region, but his passion for the brands is equally as strong."

Jorge Giannattasio, Chief Operating Officer at sbe, states: "For almost a year, sbe has been building an incredible team of prominent industry executives. We're happy to have Chadi focused on ownership relationships and development in the Middle East and Europe."

Chadi who will continue reporting to Jorge adds, "sbe is projecting phenomenal growth over the next few years. I'm thrilled to work closer with the executive leadership team, and hotel owners to bring sbe brands to major Middle Eastern and European cities. We have a tremendous, untapped opportunity to create luxury destinations and memorable experiences for our guests in this region and a bigger presence overall."

sbe's European footprint currently consists of London landmarks Mondrian London at Sea Containers, Sanderson, and St. Martins Lane, as well as 10 Karakoy, A Morgans Original, in Istanbul. sbe will make its debut in the Middle East this October with the opening of the highly-anticipated Mondrian Doha in Qatar. Designed by creator Marcel Wanders, Mondrian Doha will feature 270 rooms and suites, eight innovative bars and restaurants featuring both regional and international cuisine such as Magnolia Bakery, Morimoto, and Cut by Wolfgang Puck, an indoor/outdoor rooftop pool bar, ultra-modern meeting and conference venues and a world-class ESPA Spa. Their Middle Eastern footprint will continue to grow with the opening of Delano Dubai in early 2018 and Mondrian Dubai in 2019. Additionally, sbe is currently seeking opportunities to expand their European footprint, setting its sights on Paris and Milan.

Prior to this role, Chadi was the Chief Commercial Officer at Morgans Hotel Group (MHG), where he continued on in the role after the company was acquired by sbe in late 2016. As CCO, he was responsible for guiding and supporting all the revenue processes globally and leading the strategy for driving profitable revenue growth through e-Commerce and revenue management. At the same time, as Interim Chief Operating Officer, Chadi was responsible for the general operation and financial performance of MHG. Chadi oversaw the company's operations, food and beverage, sales, revenue management, eCommerce and digital marketing teams. Chadi also served as Chief Revenue Officer, where he integrated and aligned the functions of revenue management, sales, e-Commerce and Digital Marketing into a succinct distribution platform that has helped drive a cohesive strategy for the company and positioned MHG for future growth.

Chadi earned his MBA from Johns Hopkins University and his BA in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Notre Dame University in Beirut, Lebanon. Chadi is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University's Center for Hospitality Industry Studies and Cornell University as well as a guest speaker at various Revenue Management and Distribution conferences.

About sbe
Established in 2002 by Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately-held, leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, residences, restaurants and nightclubs. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is devoted to creating extraordinary experiences throughout its proprietary brands with a commitment to authenticity, sophistication, mastery and innovation. Following the acquisition of Morgans Hotel Group, the pioneer of boutique lifestyle hotels, sbe has an unparalleled global portfolio featuring over 20 world-class lifestyle hotel properties in 9 attractive gateway markets and more than 136 global world-renowned hotel, entertainment and food & beverage outlets. The company is uniquely positioned to offer a complete lifestyle experience - from nightlife, food & beverage and entertainment to hotels and residences, and through its innovative customer loyalty and rewards program, The Code, as well as its award-winning international real estate development subsidiary, Dakota Development - all of which solidify sbe as the preeminent leader across hospitality. sbe will continue its expansion with 13 hotel properties opening in the next two years (some with residences), including SLS Baha Mar, SLS Seattle, Mondrian Doha and Mondrian Dubai. The company's established and upcoming hotel brands include SLS Hotel & Residences, Delano, Mondrian, Redbury, Hyde Hotel & Residences, Clift, Hudson, Sanderson and St Martins Lane. In addition, sbe has the following internationally acclaimed restaurants and lounges: Katsuya, Cleo, The Bazaar by José Andrés, Fi'lia by Michael Schwartz, Umami Burger, Hyde Lounge and Skybar.